Beyond Barriers: A Descendants Tale
by NYC Hell Butterfly
Summary: The Queen of Hearts enlists her daughter, Queenie, in a plot to restore Maleficent to her former glory and take over Auradon for the villains, banishing King Ben and all of his people to the Isle. When Queenie meets the children of the Mad Hatter and Alice, however, will she have a change of heart?
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

Once upon a time, there was a magical place called Wonderland. It had talking animals, singing flowers, a dude with a _serious_ fetish for hats, and everything else you could ever dream of. My mother, the Queen of Hearts, ruled it all. That is, until that meddling brat Alice showed up and pretty much took over.

To make a long story short, Mom was banished to the Isle of the Lost, along with all of the other villains of Auradon. That's where I was born. Let me tell you, the Isle is _not _a fun place to grow up, especially when your mother takes _mood swings _to a new extreme.

One day, everything changed. Mal, daughter of Maleficent and the future Queen of Auradon, took down the barrier between our two worlds forever. The villains and their kids were _finally _free! Most of the people from the Isle were so relieved, they promised to change their evil ways, but a few still longed for their revenge... Which brings us to the start of a brand new fairy tale. And trust me, _no one _was prepared for what was to come...

_**A/N:**_ _Thanks for reading the introduction to this story. This section was narrated by Queenie, but the fic will contain alternating points of view from both canon characters and original ones. The chapters going forward will be significantly longer, but I wanted to start the fic with a quick introduction like the films had. Reviews are greatly appreciated! Enjoy the coming adventure..._

_On a side note, I was truly humbled by all of the feedback for _The Heart of Auradon. _Thank you guys so much for the love and support. In this fic, Carlos is alive and well, and he will appear in later chapters. _


	2. Chapter One

**CHAPTER ONE**

_**QUEENIE**_

The morning began like any other. I awoke to the sound of my mom screaming, "Off with your head!" I groaned, forcing myself to sit up and wondering who'd managed to offend her _this _time. Then, I remembered what day it was.

I quickly jumped out of bed and got ready. I ran downstairs and saw my mother glaring at our neighbor, Captain Hook. He smiled at her charmingly, ignoring her rage as he used his hook to twist his _super _cliche black mustache.

"Why, your _Majesty... _You look _ravishing_ today!" Captain Hook said, kissing her hand. I rolled my eyes. This happened pretty much daily.

"Come on, Little Sister," a much more welcome voice said from behind me. "Time for school!"

"Harry!" I said with relief. Harry Hook adopted me as his "little sister" in response to rumors that Captain Hook was my father. He's not, unless my mother lied to me... Which is possible. According to Mom, dear old Dad got on her bad side one day while she was pregnant and hormonal and, well... It was _off with his head_. I guess I _should _be sad about that, but I can't miss someone when I have no idea who he was.

"Are ya excited?" Harry asked.

"No," I lied.

"Not even a _wee _bit?" He teased me.

"Nope. New school, probably the same old stuff."

"But it's _Auradon Prep, _Queenie. Trust me, it's a whole new world."

"Okay, _Aladdin, _if you say so," I teased him.

He scowled until I started to laugh. "Quiet!" My mother yelled. "I have a _terrible _headache!"

"Well, maybe if she didn't _yell_ all the time, her head wouldn't hurt," I mumbled.

"It's karma for all of the decapitations," Harry added in a whisper.

"_What _was that, Harry Hook?!" Mom demanded.

"Nothing, my dear Lady!" Harry replied quickly.

"Come on, Harry, let's go," I said, grabbing his arm.

"Just a moment, Queenie," my mother called.

I groaned internally. "What's up, Mom?" I asked.

"Come here, my darling. We need to chat." She motioned for me to follow her. When we were alone, she said, "You need to do _exactly _as I say, Queenie... Befriend Mal. Earn her trust."

"Mal _does _trust me, Mom. Evie and I are cool," I reminded her.

"Yes, yes, then this should be _easy _for you... You are to break into Mal's room, find her mother, and bring her to me!"

"You want me to kidnap Maleficent?!" I asked in shock.

"Ultimately, yes... It will take time, of course. In the meantime, you must find a way into Wonderland... I require several things. The list is in your bag... _Do not _fail me, Queenie, darling... Or it will be-"

"Off with my head. I _know_." I sighed. And here I'd thought things would be different...

"Have a _wonderful _time at school, Darling!" Mom called after me as I led Harry out of the house.

"Is everything okay there, Little Sister?" Harry asked me when we were alone.

"It's fine," I replied.

"Queenie... You know you can tell me _anything." _

"Mom's just up to her usual plotting. Don't worry... I'm sure nothing will come of it." I hoped that was the case anyway... I told myself that Mal was smart, and she'd be keeping the itty bitty lizard version of her impressively evil mother under lock and key... But if I was wrong, I'd ultimately _have _to do what my mother had ordered me to. People didn't tend to survive disappointing my mother, and being her daughter probably wouldn't save me.

"Don't worry your wee head about it," Harry said with a reassuring smile. "Today is going to be great. Just focus on that."

"Today is going to be great," I repeated, but I didn't believe that. I was nervous. I'd always been pretty smart, so school wasn't hard for me, but attending school with a bunch of stuck-up princes and princesses didn't sound like much fun to me. Sure, _I_ was technically a princess, too, but no one in Auradon would see me that way. Mom's kingdom had been stolen from her, so I was basically the future Queen of Nothing.

As we arrived at the famed Auradon Prep, I stared at it in shock. "_This _is a school?" I asked. "It looks like a palace!"

"Aye," Harry replied. "Beautiful, ain't it?"

"Queenie!" A voice squealed in excitement.

"Hey, Celia," I replied casually. Celia Facilier was a pretty cool VK. I liked her well enough, and we were about the same age. With her was Dizzy Tremaine. I didn't hang out with Dizzy much, but she'd always seemed way too nice to be stuck on the Isle.

"Hi, Queenie," Dizzy said with her usual perky smile. She cowered behind Celia slightly when she spotted Harry.

"Don' be frightened," Harry said smoothly. "I'm not here to rob ya today." He winked at her.

I laughed. "He'll behave," I promised Dizzy. "He's an _Auradon_ boy now!" I smirked.

"Bite yer tongue!" Harry said in disgust. "I'll _always _be a pirate."

I gave him a quick hug so he knew I was only teasing. "Promise you'll never change, Harry," I said.

"I promise I'll _always_ be the man you know, Little Sister," he replied as he held me. "No matter what else happens."

I nodded and tried to keep a cool exterior. I could do this... I _had _to do this.

_**MARK**_

I wandered toward the shadows. They were calling to me... I swore I could hear a ticking sound.

_Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... _"Tick... Tock..." I began reciting in time with the noise. I knew I should be heading to class, by the hypnotic ticking sound had sucked me in. I found myself walking closer until I disappeared into the shadows.

I saw a strange man standing in this unusual shadow world. He smiled darkly when he noticed me and tipped his rather impressive black top hat toward me in acknowledgement.

"Hatter..." The man said.

"Not yet," I said quickly. "I'm still just an apprentice... My _father's_ the hatter."

"Free me, Hatter... Only you possess the power... Find the key and _free me." _

I shivered, suddenly very cold. "Who are you?" I asked nervously.

"My name is unimportant. Do as I ask and you shall be rewarded."

"I'm not looking to be rewarded... I should get back-"

"You _must _free me, Hatter. Only _I _can stop her once she has been unleashed!"

"Stop _who?"_

"Why, _Maleficent, _of course."

I knew I was in trouble now. "She's trapped in lizard form in her daughter's custody," I said quickly. "She can't hurt anyone."

"For _now, _yes... The question is, how long do you think she will _remain_ that way?" The man flashed me another creepy smile. "Tick, tock... Tick, tock..." He taunted me.

Suddenly, I stumbled backward out of the shadows. The ticking noise stopped as I fell right on my butt. A few students laughed. Most ignored me, used to my strange antics. One hand reached toward me.

"Thanks, Liss," I said softly, letting Felicity help me back to my feet. She was my best and only friend. Most people thought I was mad like my father, and they tended to leave me alone unless they needed a new hat.

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked.

"Yes... Just embarrassed... And a little freaked out," I admitted.

"Why? What happened?"

"I saw a man in the shadows... It was almost like he pulled me into another realm... And he wore an impressive black top hat. It was an _intimidating_ hat, really... A bit of a pattern or some embellishments would have helped... A feather, maybe, or even a tiny tea cup... Yes, a tea cup would have looked-"

"Mark... What did the man _do_?" Felicity coaxed me back to the point gently. She had to do that often. I tended to ramble, especially about hats.

"Right, sorry... He said he needed to be released... That only _he_ could stop Maleficent..."

"Maleficent? But she's-"

"He swore she'd become an issue again."

Felicity frowned. "I don't like this... It sounds like a villain is trying to trick you, but... Well, Mal brought the barrier down. There's no one trapped on the Isle anymore, so why would he need you to free him?"

"I guess he's not _on_ the Isle... I don't know, Liss. He wouldn't tell me who he was."

To her credit, Felicity didn't ask if I was sure the man had been real. She never accused me of hallucinating, no matter how crazy my stories were.

"We'll figure it out together, Mark," she promised me. Felicity was naturally curious, just like her mother Alice, and she had a talent for solving puzzles.

"Thanks, Liss," I said. "With your help, I know we can do it."

She smiled at me sweetly. "Let's get to class," she said. I followed her, feeling better now that I wasn't alone.

_**FELICITY**_

I was surprised to see several new faces in my classroom before I remembered the students from the Isle were starting school that day. I looked at them, wondering who each one was and what their stories might be.

_Curiouser and curiouser, _I thought as I studied them.

One girl caught my eye in particular. She had long pink hair, which was a lot cooler than my natural blonde locks. Her eyes were both sad and determined. I noticed a small black heart tattooed on the girl's wrist. It was colored in with even more black ink. I watched the girl sit behind Mark. I sat beside him, as usual. When Mark dropped his textbook awkwardly, we both reached to pick it up.

The new girl's hand brushed against mine. She pulled it back quickly, so I picked up the book and handed it back to Mark. "Hello," I said with a cheerful smile. "I'm Felicity... Most people call me Liss... Welcome to Auradon Prep!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "I _know_ who you are... Daughter of Alice," she said accusingly.

"Yes, Alice is my mother... So?"

"I'm Queenie... Daughter of, take a _guess_."

I paused, understanding where this must be heading. "Your mother is the Queen of Hearts?" I asked.

"Give this girl a gold star," Queenie said dryly. "I know you Auradon kids _love _that sort of thing."

"Queenie... Our mothers had their issues, but today is about new beginnings," I said. "I won't hold the past against you, especially since it's not _our_ fight."

"How _diplomatic _of you." Queenie rolled her eyes again. I wondered if that was a nervous tick, or if she was really just _that _hostile. She obviously didn't want to talk to me, so I didn't push her further. As class began, I stopped focusing on what Queenie was doing, but every once in a while, I stole a quick glimpse of her. I couldn't help but be curious about the daughter of my mother's mortal enemy.

I knew the Queen of Hearts was psychotic. She was obsessed with cutting off heads and other strange things. She'd tried to destroy my mother, but mom had won the fight and saved the people of Wonderland from their tyrannical Queen.

I really couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Queenie to grow up with someone like that for a mother. My heart broke for her, even if she clearly hated my guts. Maybe if I continued to show her kindness, she'd give me a chance to become her friend. She was clearly stubborn, but so was _I. _

The bell rang. Mark stood and sighed as his bag fell to the floor. Everything spilled out. Queenie crouched down to help him pick it all up.

"You _really _need to work on your hand-eye coordination," she told him.

"I know... I'm hopeless," Mark said. "Actually, I'm _Mark, _but my current state is _very _hopeless."

Queenie spotted a couple of hats that had been in his bag. "These are _really _good," she said. "Did you make them?"

"I did," Mark said with a proud smile. "My dad's are better, but thanks for the compliment."

"You're the Mad Hatter's son?" Queenie guessed.

"Yep. Would you like me to make you a hat?" His eyes lit up with hope.

"Maybe," Queenie said. She offered up a very small smile.

_So she _does _do more than glare and roll her eyes, _I thought with a smile of my own.

"Are you ready to go, Mark?" I asked as I handed him the notebook that had slid toward me when the bag fell.

"Yeah... Thanks, girls. I appreciate the help," he said, smiling at us both.

"No problem," Queenie replied.

I tried to smile at her and got glared at in return. _Okay, we're not there yet, _I told myself. At least she'd been nice to Mark. That earned her points in my book.

It wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to find a way to get through to Queenie. I knew it was the right thing to do.

_**HARRY**_

It had been a pretty good day. I had to admit, I was enjoying my time at Auradon Prep. They'd created some special classes for those of us from the Isle who were older teens but hadn't had the greatest education. Some classes were unbearably boring, and others were just downright insulting, like Remedial Goodness. Still, it was kind of nice not to have to worry about someone trying to jump me between classes. Also, I was in advanced sword fighting, and _that _was a _lot _of fun.

I spotted Uma strutting down the hall. She had an army of loyal followers as usual. Some were members of our pirate gang, but at least a few of them were Auradon kids. That didn't entirely surprise me. People _always _gravitated toward Uma. She was a natural leader. I used my hook to tip my hat to her. She offered up a quick smile before continuing down the hall.

"That's a _fine _hat you have there," a boy said. I jumped. I hadn't even sensed him coming.

"Pardon me?" I asked harshly.

"Your hat. It's well-made, for what it is. I imagine they couldn't get the best materials on the Isle... But it suits you. I can make you another if you like. I enjoy making hats. It soothes my mind. I'm Mark, by the way. Son of the-"

"Mad Hatter?" I cut him off. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist ta figure that out, Lad."

He nodded. "Right." He blushed awkwardly before extending his hand to shake mine.

"You _may _want ta rethink that," I said, showing off my hook.

"Oh... You must be Captain Hook's son..."

"That's right. I'm Harry Hook." I shrugged. "As fer makin' me a hat... If yer up to it, I'd _like_ that. Good day, Mark." With that, I walked away.

I found Queenie a little while later. She was standing outside with her arms crossed over her chest. "Rough day, Little Sister?" I asked her.

"Kind of," she admitted. "This whole place _reeks _of sunshine, happiness, and goodness... It's _disgusting." _

"Ya just need ta get used to it, Queenie," I said sympathetically. "It's really not _so _bad."

"I'm scared to find out who I'm rooming with. Fairy Godmother said it's one of the princesses... I'm _not _ready to wake up to some girl singing to wild animals every morning."

I laughed. "They're not _all _like that, Lass," I promised.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Come on... Let's get something to eat. The food here'll cheer you right up!" I led her toward the cafeteria.

_**JAZZY**_

I was really excited. I was _finally _getting a roommate. Ever since my older sister Alanna graduated last year, I'd been alone. Alanna was actually still at the school, working as a secretary during the day and attending college at night, but she lived in her own house now.

When the door to the dorm room opened, I looked up with a shy, kind of awkward smile. The girl who came in had pink hair, which was pretty cool. Her eyes seemed sad and uncertain as she looked around the room. She paused when she saw me.

"Hi!" I said cheerfully. "I'm Jazzy, daughter of Aladdin and Jasmine. It's nice to meet you!"

"Queenie," she said with no further explanation. She sat down on the empty bed and sighed.

"Welcome to Auradon! How are you liking it so far?" I asked.

Queenie shrugged, not giving me much to work with. I hesitated before asking, "So, who are your parents?"

"My mother is the Queen of Hearts. She cut off my father's head and won't tell me who he was," she replied casually.

I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was joking. It didn't seem that way. "Oh my gosh... That must have been _awful." _

"It's no big deal," Queenie replied. "I never knew him, so it's not like I can miss him, right?"

I could tell she was pretty miserable to be in Auradon. "Listen, Queenie... I know this is a huge change for you, but if you need _anything, _don't be afraid to ask. I'm here for you."

"You don't even _know _me."

"But I'd _like_ to."

"You _would?" _Queenie looked genuinely puzzled by that. "Why? What's your deal? Aren't you just another pampered princess who looks down on VKs?"

"Nope. My parents kept me pretty grounded... And I was raised to give _everyone _a chance regardless of their past. My dad started out as a street rat and a thief. I don't judge people."

Queenie seemed to search my face for a lie. Finally, she nodded. "Okay," she said. She left it at that, but I took it as a sign of progress.

One way or another, I was determined to help Queenie feel comfortable in Auradon. I knew if she gave me a chance, we could be great friends.

_**ALANNA**_

Everything was going as well as it could. I'd been swamped with paperwork as the kids from the Isle started their first day of classes, but I had _finally _managed to get all of that done.

I went for a walk in the woods to clear my head before I'd need to head to Auradon University, where I was a freshman. As much as I loved life in Auradon, I longed for adventure. My mother Jasmine had once run away from the castle for a similar reason. My parents didn't treat me as a prisoner or anything, but nothing ever really _happened _in Auradon. It could get boring sometimes.

I stumbled over a tree stump I hadn't noticed and suddenly found myself tumbling toward the edge of a cliff. A strong arm grabbed me and I was pulled against someone's chest.

"Careful, Lass," a voice said. "Ye wouldn't want ta bruise that lovely face."

I pulled back as I realized who had rescued me. "You're Harry Hook," I said.

"I _am _indeed!" He smiled at me charmingly, and I had to admit he was handsome. _He's a _pirate, _Alanna, _I scolded myself. _He's _not _crush material. _"And who are _you?" _He asked.

"Alanna," I replied harshly. "Daughter of Aladdin and Jasmine. If you'll excuse me..." I started to walk away.

"Don't I even get a _thank you, _Lass?"

My strict manners demanded I reply. "Thank you. Now, I need to get to class."

He flashed that charming smile at me again before bowing grandly and sayin, "Until we meet again, Lass."

I walked away, hurrying to the university so I wouldn't be late. I tried to ignore the fact that I couldn't get Harry's smile out of my mind... Or his eyes... Or his muscles...

_Or his _hook, I told myself. _Stop crushing on the pirate, Alanna! What would Grandfather say? _

A small voice in the back of my mind protested, _Mom would say that a pirate's really not so different from a street rat... _

I ignored that voice and tried to focus on my lessons for the day.

_**MAL**_

I was really proud of the VKs. The first day of their full integration into Auradon Prep had gone remarkably well. There had only been a couple of incidents, and it was nothing too serious. Sure, one teacher had _temporarily _been turned into a toad, but that was just because the young VKs were just starting to learn to control their magic. It wasn't as if the kid had done it on _purpose... _At least, I was _pretty _sure she hadn't. Anyway, it hadn't been hard to reverse, so no real harm had been done, right?

Ben stood by my side. I smiled at him peacefully, happier than I'd ever been before. "So... _That _went well," I said.

"It did. I'm really impressed by how everyone's working together now," Ben replied. "Who knew the daughter of Maleficent would be the one to truly unite the people?"

"_You _did that," I insisted. "I just made a proclamation."

"Don't be modest. I was thinking a lot smaller than you were... I love you, Mal... And I'm _really _proud of everything you've accomplished."

"I love you, too." I kissed him.

"King Ben! I have an urgent matter you need to address," Ralph, one of the staff, said.

"Of course," Ben replied. "Excuse us, Mal." He followed Ralph away.

Now that I was alone, a sense of dread filled my heart. _Something's coming, _a voice nagged.

_Everything is _perfect, I argued. I had a tendency to be a pessimist. It came from growing up on the Isle. I was positive I was just so used to everything falling into chaos that I was imagining a threat that didn't exist. I shook off the bad feeling and decided to call Evie. E _always _made me feel better.

_Everything's fine. Stop being paranoid and just _relax _for once, _I told myself as I called my best friend in the world. I tried to ignore the voice as I talked to Evie, but in the back of my mind, it continued to whisper ominously. Even as Evie made me laugh, I remained on high alert, waiting for a sign of whatever threat was coming. I was determined to be ready when it arrived. _Nothing _was going to hurt Auradon or the people I loved ever again. Not if _I _had anything to say about it.


End file.
